Wireless signals are omnipresent in today's world. Over the past few decades the amount of devices that use wireless technology has risen exponentially. Some of the most common devices that use wireless technology today are smartphones and other cellular devices. Cellular companies compete to obtain the best coverage, including providing the best signal quality for their customers.
Cellular wireless signals typically use a higher frequency than other wireless technologies, and as a result have a more difficult time penetrating walls, foliage, underground, etc. To remedy this problem, some facilities equip a distributed antenna system (DAS). A DAS typically includes a primary antenna located on the top of a facility. The primary antenna receives a signal from a cellular network. The primary antenna then transmits the cellular network signal to antenna nodes dispersed throughout the facility that will broadcast the cellular network signal as well as receive incoming transmissions from user devices connected to the cellular network.
In order to obtain the highest quality signal, the primary antenna should be positioned in the optimal orientation toward the signal source. In order to determine the optimal orientation for the primary antenna, a radio frequency (RF) wireless scanner is typically used. However, RF wireless scanners used for this purpose have some significant drawbacks. First, they are extremely expensive, ranging from $20,000 up to $100,000. Second, they are bulky and heavy, which makes them difficult to take on-site. Third, each individual scanner is programmed to read a specific frequency band and technology, so multiple RF scanners must be purchased to be able to analyze each band and technology. These and other shortcomings are discussed herein.